No word yet on when the next show will be; Mikey Mel can be an elusive fellow. As soon as we hear from him, we'll be sure to let you know.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
High School All Over Again
Friday, October 26, 2007
We Got News
- Genarlow Wilson has been released from a Georgia Prison (CNN)
- Putin compares standoff on US missile shield to Cuban missile crisis (CNN)
- Fifa has recommended Brazil to be the host of the 2014 World Cup (ESPN)
- The Gainesville, FL police officers who tasered a student at a John Kerry event last month have been cleared of charges (WFTV)
- Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Bhutto, suspects Musharraf regime involvement in assassination attempt (CNN)
Update: The Situation in Turkey
Tensions continue to simmer between Iraq and Turkey, as diplomatic discussions have been unable to achieve a long term solution. So far, Turkey has not launched a full fledged invasion of Northern Iraq in pursuit of rebel Kurdish fighters. However, Reuters is reporting that the Turkish military has commenced with an aerial assault on bases across the border. It appears that the situation could go either way, but I would assume that fighting will increase before things settle down.
In related news, the proposed bill in the US Congress to condemn the Ottoman genocide against the Armenians has stalled. CNN reports that the White House has succeeded in convincing supporters of the bill to withdraw it and consider it at a more opportune time.
Update: CNN has an updated report on today's events in Turkey here.
Update: Check here for our previous post on the Turkey-Iraq situation.
Update: The Situation in Burma
CNN is reporting that the military junta in Burma has freed the pro-democracy leader, Suu Kyi, and at least 50 of her key supporters.
In the mean time, the regime has redeployed armed troops into the country's largest city. From the article:
"The show of force after several weeks of relative quiet appeared aimed at forestalling any activities to mark the one-month anniversary of a key day in the anti-regime uprising by Buddhist monks, activists and ordinary citizens angry at the entrenched military government."
Things seem to be moving in the right direction, lets hope for more releases of political prisoners and fewer armed troops on the streets in the future.
Colbert 4 President Gaining Momentum
Well, at least on Facebook it is. The group, 1,000,000 Strong For Stephen T Colbert, is the fastest growing ever on the site. Check here for the numbers.
The Hold Steady at the 40 Watt
So, I had planned on catching the Art Brut show at the 40 Watt last night, but my timing was off and I walked into the room just as they were leaving the stage. Instead, I picked up a few videos of the headlining band, the Hold Steady. First up is Stuck Between Stations off their album, "Girls and Boys in America."
Follow the jump for more: --->
Arnold v. Bush = Cross-Country Throwdown on the Mend
Though I'm glad to see Bush and Arnold getting along in the present time of crisis, I'd love to see Schwartzenegger bust out some "Commando"-esque moves if things go sour.
I know it’s been several years, but I still find it intriguing that Arnold is governor of California. I guess being so far removed from it, that’s difficult to conceptualize. Either way, the article's a relatively riveting read from the NY Times on his and Bush’s relationship.
I'm always a sucker for "how the hell did that happen" stories
Here's another one!
I don't know if the guy resisted the arrest, or was a jackass to the cop and the store manager or what, but it seems to me like he could have just paid the $2 for the jellybeans and moved on his way.
Hail to Jesus, we're down 2-0
According to this article, the Colorado Rockies believe God was behind some of their "good luck" on the way to the World Series.
In that mode, I learned the other day that the Rockies are in fact a faith-based organization, as far as I know the only one in professional sports. Now, I guess I can't speak too soon about their 2 losses in Boston, because with God on their side, He could just be toying with those faithless Northeastern Blue-Staters (to Hell with Ted Kennedy!!). However, I'm inclined to think God is conerned about other things, like, something else in the vast scope of infinity.
This raises another question: Why does it seems that Colorado is the place where Christianity is taking off by leaps and bounds these days? With Colorado Springs headquartering several major evangelical institutions, and the Rockies with their mission as stated above, it makes me think maybe that's what John Denver meant by "Rocky Mountain High?" Hmmm, probably not though, and that's my point: Colorado is traditionally well known for another type of living.
No Religion = More Money?
Except in the U.S., apparently. So, here are some really loaded statistics showing the relationships between abundancy of religion and amount of wealth per capita in various countries around the world (note: pretty graphs involved!!).
Thankfully, the article does not make a strong attmept to analyze these stats too deeply, because drawing a direct correlary between the two overlooks waaaay too many other factors. Effectively, then, the stats do their job and raise provocative thoughts regarding the connections between religion, economics, and politics. Enjoy!
Rumsfeld on trial in France
You're sitting there in Paris, recently retired and giving a speech, and then you're informed you're being put on trial as an alleged torturer by the French government.
If I'm Donald Rumsfeld, maybe I'm not terribly surprised by this. However, as me, I find this intriguing. Granted, I dislike both Rummy and torture as much as the next guy, but I'm curious as to how this entire process works, and what evidence they have on him, and what the U.S. Embassy thinks about the whole shindig.
With very limited knowledge regarding international law, I'd love some feedback on how others perceive this situation. I'm sure it will do wonders for Franco-American relations.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
It Has Been a Bad Week For Internet Copyright Infringers
First, TV-Links went down. Then the private Bittorrent tracker, OiNK, went down. Now there is word that other sites are due to be raided as well. Needless to say, there are a lot of unhappy nerds out there right now.
I think all of this is fascinating. I was a frequent user of TV-Links and bittorrent sites over the past few years; often I used them to watch reruns of old shows or give a new show a try. However, as iTunes began offering a wider selection and ABC and NBC rolled out their own free video platforms, I found myself gravitating towards these options. They are simply faster and more reliable than TV-Links or the file-sharing sites.
Even now, CBS and Fox offer no method for enjoying their products freely and legally on the net. Why not? It is 2007, right?
My message to the entertainment industry: Stop prosecuting people, adjust your business model to meet the needs of the 21st century consumer, and provide a good product. Otherwise, these pirating sites will keep popping up, and there is no way that the legal system can keep up with them.
Philosophy and Science meet for a cup of tea
So, a bunch of scholars across various fields of science and philosophy weighed in on their thoughts about the purpose of existence. I know this isn't so exciting to everyone as it is to me; however, if you have some time, flipping through a couple of these is wildly intriguing.
Linux Rules; Windows Drools
In the interest of full disclosure, let me say this first: I unabashedly love Linux. It is the best operating system in the whole wide world. And the penguin is much, much cooler than a stupid window.
Now that I've got out of the way, this may be the coolest piece of Tech News this week. Bill Gates has dreams, and in his dreams, the characters hypothesize about fitting an operating system onto a 1GB hard drive. Open Source software works because computer users all want the same things: speed, ease of connection to the internet, and pretty colors. Vista hideously fails in two of these categories (speed and internet connection); it is awfully pretty though. In contrast, these are (lo and behold) the very features that Linux emphasizes. Luckily I have been looking for a use for the flash drive that came free with the last computer I bought.
As an aside, this video from 1999 is a bit eerie; replace "Windows 98" with "Vista" and "Saddam Hussein" with "Osama bin Laden" and it feels just like 2007. Weird.
Will Exercise Really Make You Thinner?
New York Magazine asks that question and delves into the muddled world of exercise science. From the article:
"The dietary guidelines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for instance, now recommend that we engage in up to 60 minutes daily of “moderate to vigorous intensity” physical activity just to maintain weight—that is, keep us from fattening further. Considering the ubiquity of the message, the hold it has on our lives, and the elegant simplicity of the notion—burn calories, lose weight—wouldn’t it be nice to believe it were true? The catch is that science suggests it’s not, and so the answer to all of the above quiz questions is “no.”"
I am always amazed at how little we actually know about the human body and how it works. As the article discusses, we have been taught for our entire lives that people get fat because they are lazy and eat too much, but the science behind these claims is apparently murky.
Forget the people in South Africa and Iraq, teach cartography to the NFL!
In a move that would make Miss Teen South Carolina proud, Channing Crowder of the NFL's Miami Dolphins (pictured here in college about to destroy Casey Clausen) just figured out where London is, and that Londoners speak English. With the Dolphins playing the Giants in London this weekend, Crowder questioned whether or not he needed a translator there. I mean, he might; those crazy Brits can't speak our language for shit.
It's my opinion that this seems like a joke, but you never, ever know. For the record, this guy went to middle school with myself and Hebb, and also played at Florida. What does that say?
Update: So. Cal. wildfire situation
To spread some good news, the Southern California wildfires are under some measure of control. I know the authorities are trying to be optimistic, but I hope saying that "the worst is behind us" is not jumping ahead of themselves, especially since this is the first relief that's been shown.
However, if asshole arsonists continue to contribute to the situation, then this may go on much longer than expected.
In the end, though, if God is punishing the Californians for their sinful ways, then who knows what will happen. But, since that's not the case, The Pasty Quail sends its best wishes in hopes that this disaster will be mitigated and alleviated quickly.
POSTSCRIPT: While we're in a HowStuffWorks mood (in an effort to break my dependence on Wikipedia), here's their article on wildfires.
HEBBARD POST-POSTSCRIPT: Fox News is reporting that Al Qaeda is behind the wildfires. No, seriously. Raw Story has a confusing article about.
Naked Sleepwalkers: The Silent Killer
Yes, that's right. Travelodge alone has recorded (why do they record these things?) at least 400 cases of naked sleepwalking in the past year (in 310 hotels!), and now are training employees on how to handle the situations. 
It seems that, at least from the examples the article gives, the sleepwalkers are mostly harmless. But the trend is still pretty intriguing. I mean, I know it's 310 different places, but more than one a day is a lot. I didn't know so many people had sleepwalking issues. Learn something every day.
HowStuffWorks weighs in here on sleepwalking and other sleep disorders if you're interested.
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